Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain
by Sarah
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I’ve answered direct questions on my gluten intolerance site, such as what is gluten, and I’ve tried to elucidate complicated topics, such as celiac disease symptoms. But one different and confusing topic that arises a little more than I’d like to see is the issue of gluten intolerance and weight gain. This topic has a few different angles to it.
Navigate Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain:
- A Gluten-Free Diet Is Not A Hot Weight Loss Solution
- When Gluten Intolerance Causes Weight Gain
- Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
- Why Weight Gain and Not Weight Loss?
- Gluten Free Diet and Weight Gain
- Properly Diagnosing Gluten Intolerance
- Treating Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain
A Gluten-Free Diet Is Not A Hot Weight Loss Solution
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The gluten-free diet is not a fad diet and it is not a new means to lose weight for any random person. It is a necessary lifestyle change for people with a specific and serious autoimmune disease. While I question the heavy role of gluten in our diets, particularly the kind of gluten our agricultural industry has evolved to produce in recent decades, you should not arbitrarily look at a gluten-free diet as a new, diet to help you lose weight.
No matter what diet you decide to adapt for weight-loss, remember that ultimately it comes down to your body’s thermodynamics: you have to burn more calories than you consume.
When Gluten Intolerance Causes Weight Gain
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With my disclaimer regarding how the gluten-free diet is not a weight-loss solution out of the way, there are real and seemingly counter-intuitive situations where weight gain and gluten intolerance appear to be related.
While it is less common, some people who suffer from unexplained weight gain, or who are overweight and having difficulty losing weight, may be suffering from gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance and weight gain can be closely related because a gluten sensitivity or intolerance has a direct impact on the digestive system. Although weight loss is usually the first thing that doctors will look for when diagnosing gluten intolerance, the opposite can also be an indicator.
Let’s look at the gluten intolerance and weight gain connection. With the right information, you may be able to shed those unwanted pounds and treat an unknown illness at the same time.
Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
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While other parts of my site go into far greater detail (see my sidebar), gluten intolerance and celiac disease are similar, overlapping phenomenons. Beyond gastrointestinal distress, most of the time these diseases present themselves as malnutrition or malabsorption symptoms like anemia and osteoporosis. In advanced cases, patients who cannot absorb enough nutrients experience severe weight loss. For more on gluten intolerance symptoms, please consider these three essays on my site:
As you should see from these various gluten intolerance essays, the association between gluten intolerance and weight gain is somewhat counter-intuitive to what most commonly occurs.
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Why Weight Gain and Not Weight Loss?
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Since most celiac disease sufferers experience weight loss, why and how would weight gain indicate gluten intolerance or celiac disease? The answer lies in the body’s will to survive. When the antibodies triggered by consuming gluten damages the villi along the lining of the small intestine, the amount of nutrients these villi can absorb diminishes. For some (in fact, for most), this is likely to lead to some degree of weight loss. For others, however, this creates an insatiable appetite. The body calls for more food so it can try to obtain the nutrients needed to survive and thrive. Villi damage can also impede fatty acid absorption, which in turn can cause an increase in appetite and reduce your body’s ability to break down fats.
Gluten Free Diet and Weight Gain
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Another way weight gain and gluten intolerance can be connected is through the change to a gluten free diet. While a gluten free diet is necessary and much healthier for anyone who can’t properly digest gluten, this type of diet is different and will require some additional thought and consideration. Gluten containing foods, at least those made with whole grains, generally contain more protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals than their gluten free counterparts.
When eliminating gluten containing foods it is important to substitute them with gluten free foods that will provide the same nutrients as the foods you are replacing. Unfortunately most conventional, store-bought gluten free substitutes for those carbohydrate foods we crave are lacking in fiber and other nutrients.
Even if you make them at home you’ll notice you need to replace wheat flour with a blend of other flours and starches. Some of these blends are lacking in fiber, protein and nutrients. Eating too many of these foods can lead to weight gain. But if you do a little research to find a healthier blend of flours using gluten free whole grains, for example brown rice flour instead of white rice flour, and you don’t overindulge in these foods you shouldn’t have a problem with a gluten free diet and weight gain. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new flours like quinoa, buckwheat, bean and nut flours as these flours offer more nutritional value.
Properly Diagnosing Gluten Intolerance
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If you have struggled to lose weight to no avail yet you feel like you are lacking nutrients or you have constant food cravings it may be worthwhile talking with your doctor about celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Depending on your doctor, you may need to be persistent as weight loss rather than weight gain is more commonly associated with these conditions. However, a simple anti-gliadin antibody blood test can help indicate if you have a sensitivity to gluten. An intestinal biopsy can then provide a conclusive diagnosis and should be done if the blood test is positive. You can learn more about this process in my article, Gluten Intolerance Test.
Treating Gluten Intolerance and Weight Gain
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Fortunately, there is hope. If you are diagnosed with gluten intolerance you can treat the condition by strictly avoiding gluten and stocking a healthy gluten free pantry so you can easily cook gluten free at home. As your intestines heal you will experience reduced food cravings and over time, you may notice a substantial reduction in weight. Living a gluten-free life is not exactly convenient, but more ready-made products are being introduced all the time. With some planning and a bit of perseverance, living gluten-free is absolutely possible.
If you are intimidated by the prospect by living a gluten-free life, I strongly recommend you consider obtaining The Gluten Free Survival Kit.
If you suspect that gluten could be playing a part in your struggle with weight, it is worth taking the time to get tested and to discuss the matter with your doctor. But first you may want to do some research on your own to better understand what is gluten and how it can impact your health and weight. It’s worth checking into when you consider the compounded problems gluten intolerance and weight gain can have on your long-term health and well-being.
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